The Charge

Opening Statement

The star of over fifty films, Steven Chow has seen his move into directing
earn him greater recognition than acting alone. With his 2001 comedy Shaolin
Soccer, Chow saw his work gaining recognition from Western audiences,
something that the gloriously over-the-top Kung Fu Hustle built upon.

Chow's fifth film behind the camera, CJ7, marks a change of direction
for the writer/director and sees Chow turn full circle, back to the film that
started his ambition to make movies in the first place, E.T. Steven
Spielberg's timeless classic struck a chord with Chow, who made repeat visits to
the local theatre showing the movie. As he sat transfixed by the story of Elliot
and his alien friend, Chow began to absorb the many nuances of Spielberg's work,
planting the seed of inspiration that now, some twenty-plus years later, comes
to fruition in CJ7.

Facts of the Case

Chow Ti (Stephen Chow) and his son, Dicky Chow (Xu Jiao), live a meager
existence. Working endless hours as a laborer at a building site, Chow Ti
struggles to keep his son in private schooling, determined that Dicky will be
given every opportunity to better himself and earn the chances in life that Chow
Ti never had.

With most of his earnings going towards school fees, there is little left
for luxuries like food and clothing; Chow Ti does most of his shopping in the
local rubbish tip. From old television sets to battered old trainers for Dicky's
gym class, the stuff on the tip helps Chow Ti get by.

Feeling guilty that he cannot afford to buy his son the latest toys, Chow Ti
is delighted when, during one of his regular visits to the tip, he discovers an
odd-looking ball; he takes it home for Dicky. Initially far from impressed,
Dicky is surprised when the ball transforms into a small alien creature; he
christens it CJ7. Chaos ensues.

The Evidence

Steven Chow's move into more Spielbergian territory is something of a
curate's egg. Destined to divide audiences, at least those aged over 8 years
old, CJ7 is nevertheless a delightful tale that won me over in spite of
its obvious flaws.

Creating something with its own feel while working in the shadow of
Spielberg's E.T. puts Chow under great pressure and leaves himself open
to even greater scrutiny. Though not lifting the structure of Spielberg's
E.T. wholesale, CJ7 certainly isn't ashamed to wear its influence
on its sleeve. The danger being, of course, that Chow runs the risk of being
labeled a plagiarist if he stays too close to Spielberg's formula. Worse still,
slipping up in this genre could see Chow labeled as the guy who made the next
Mac and Me, and nobody wants that, do they?

To fully appreciate CJ7 means handing oneself over to Chow completely
and letting him tell you his story, a story that moves in rhythms that may be a
little alien (pun intended) to some viewers. As with many films coming from
Asia, CJ7 takes a familiar Hollywood theme, and molds it into something a
little more distinct. Suffering from a mild dose of schizophrenia, CJ7
mixes a heart-warming family tale with bizarre Kung Fu Hustle-style
martial-arts clashes and slapstick comedy sequences that border on Looney
Tunes levels of mayhem.

Though the film's title character is an adorable creation -- part puppy dog,
part Flubber -- it's actually a cunning ruse to get children interested.
Strip away the fancy packaging, and at its core, CJ7 tells a simple story
about the importance of integrity and the value of our loved ones, while noting
the evils of materialism. Though these messages are sometimes overstated, the
film's good nature earns it a pass.

As with most films of its ilk, CJ7 goes to some fairly dark places,
some that youngsters (or even more sensitive adults) are likely find
distressing. Though a good-natured kid, Dicky is not impervious to the cruel
jibes he faces on a daily basis at school. When CJ7 comes along, Dicky
believes his troubles are over and that his new friend will make everything
right. When the truth turns out to be more than a little different, Dicky's
frustrations get the better of him, and CJ7 takes the brunt of his
pent-up anger. This sequence is affecting for two reasons: on the one hand, you
have the undeniably cute, and ever-loving CJ7 being horrendously
mistreated; on the other, you see the sensitive Dicky Chow fall apart. That you
can guess everything will turn out okay in the end does little to soften the
blow.

Visually, Chow excels. Fans will find many similarities to his previous
efforts, while also acknowledging a few new flourishes that see Chow continue to
grow as a filmmaker. Possessing a keen eye for the cinematic, Chow creates an
almost cartoon-like world where schoolchildren possess superhuman strength, UFO
sightings are a regular occurrence, and there is always the hope that something
magical might fall from the skies to lift us from the mundane.

Xu Jiao, a 9-year-old in the pivotal role of Dicky Chow, is nothing short of
a revelation. To say Jiao has an expressive face is a huge understatement.
Apparently fully aware of when to underplay the emotion and when to go all-out,
Jiao gives a performance that betters most of her peers. No, that's not a typo;
the role of Dicky Chow is indeed played by a girl.

CJ7 comes on a pretty packed disc. First, and perhaps most
importantly for a kids' film, the English dub is actually very good. Unlike many
dubs of foreign films that destroy the original work (see Ichi the Killer
for a prime example), the voice actors here do a fine job, fully capturing the
spirit of the film. An energetic commentary track is backed up by several
features, from the "Anatomy of a Scene" featurette that reveals the
work that what went into the CGI to the questionable "How to Bully a
Bully."

A 2.40:1 anamorphic transfer contains good levels of detail, with occasional
softness being the only cause of concern.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

There are frequent stutters in CJ7's narrative, with the same material
being reworked over and over, to ensure the film gets its message across.
Running at a mere 88 minutes, these repetitious moments are brought to the fore
and reveal either a lack of material, or more likely, Chow struggling to keep
things simple while simultaneously making sure kids can keep up with what is
going on.

CJ7 also struggles to maintain a consistent flow, jumping from
kid-friendly hijinks one minute to startlingly traumatic the next. Once you've
adjusted to the film's rhythm, this becomes less of an issue, but it's easy to
see how some will level this as a criticism against the film.

Closing Statement

Perhaps against my better judgment, I found myself enjoying CJ7 far
more than I expected to. Yes, it is all a little bit too cutesy-pooh at times,
and yes, the story is as threadbare as Dicky Chow's trainers, but it maintains a
distinct charm all of its own which, when coupled with Chow's trademark action
sequences and that damn irresistible critter, make CJ7 a must for Stephen
Chow fans and worth a punt for adults looking for something a little different
for their kids.

Distinguishing Marks
* "The Story of CJ7"
* Cast and Crew Commentary
* "How to Bully a Bully"
* "How to Make a Lollipop"
* CJ7: Mission Control Game
* CJ7: TV Special
* "Anatomy of a Scene"
* CJ7: Profiles